Ivaana pojut Kalervo

SKVR III1 657·Narvusi·1881·Collector: Porkka, Volmari

In the SKVR edition: Narvusi, Arsia. Volmari Porkka. II 60. 1881-83. Laulaja Hakajasta.

Song types: Hirttäytynyt neito, Kilpakosinta, Kouluun kotoa, Lohikäärme ja neito

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SKVR textEnglish

1Ivaana pojut Kalervo,Ivan's sons of Kalervo,

2Käpykenkä, nahkapaulaPinecone-shoe, leather-strap,

3Kävi koulussa kovassa,Attended a harsh school,

4Raskahassa raamatussa.In the weighty Bible's study.

5Tuli koulusta kottii,Came home from school,

6Viskas kirjat kiukaalle,Threw books on the stove,

7Paperit pakon nenälle:Papers to the crow's beak:

8Kova on skoulu kävväkseni,Hard is school for my going,

9Raskas on raamattu lukkee,Heavy the Bible to read,

10Kissat kirjoja lukkoot,Let cats read the books,

11Kasit rapsiit raamattua.Hands may scratch the Bible.

12Alko kyssyä emolta:Began to ask his mother:

13"Oi emyt, vanha emoni,"Oh mother, my old mother,

14Vanha mamma, vaalijani,Old mama, my nurturer,

15Näitkö neitoo kasvavanna,Have you seen a maiden growing,

16Tukkapäätä tuultavanna?"Thick-haired one being wind-tossed?"

17Emyt vaite vastaeli:Mother answered:

18"Poikaseni, ainoani,"My son, my only one,

19Näin miä neion kasvavanna,I saw the maiden growing,

20Tukkapään ylenevännä,Her thick hair rising,

21Vaa ei sitä siulle panna,But she won't be given to you,

22Ei pantu paremmillekaa.Nor was she given to better men.

23Kävi Ruotsista rovasti,A priest came from Sweden,

24Kävi piispa pappilasta,A bishop from the parsonage,

25Kävit herrat näiltä mailta;Lords came from these lands;

26Ei tuo pantu niillekää,She wasn't given to them either,

27Eikä panna siullekaa."Nor will she be given to you."

28Ivaana pojut Kalervo,Ivan's sons of Kalervo,

29Käpykenkä, (nahkapaula)Pinecone-shoe, (leather-strap)

30Alko kyssyä emolta:Began to ask his mother:

31"Onok sinne maine matka,"Is there a land route there,

32Onok sinne merine matka?"Is there a sea route there?"

33Emyt vaite vastaeli:Mother answered:

34"On sinne maine matka,"There's a land route there,

35I on merine matka."And there's a sea route."

36Ivaana pojut Kalervo,Ivan's sons of Kalervo,

37Käpykenkä, nahkapaulaPinecone-shoe, leather-strap,

38Kuusi miekkaa kukitti,Six swords he adorned,

39Kuuen vyöllä koissolaisen,Six on a warrior's belt,

40Laati laivat juoksemaa,Prepared ships to sail,

41Tervarinnat tempomaa.Tar-breasted ones to move.

42Laiva juoksi, matka joutu,The ship raced, journey sped,

43Tervarinnan tie lyheni.The tar-ship's path shortened.

44Neito on rannalla sotkemassa,Maiden's on shore washing,

45Sotkuja sorittamassa,Scrubbing laundry,

46Pesemässä pyyhkehii.Washing cloths.

47Juoksi juoksulla kottii:Ran home swiftly:

48"Oi emyt, vanha emoni,"Oh mother, my old mother,

49Vanha mamma vaalijani,Old mama, my nurturer,

50Tullook tuolta sota sottiin,Is war coming from there,

51Vai tulloo Ruotsi rohkiasti,Or Sweden coming boldly,

52Venäläine vaikiasti?"The Russian stealthily?"

53Emyt vaite vastaeli:Mother answered:

54"Tyttäreni, ainoani,"My daughter, my only one,

55Ei tule sota sotienNo war comes warring,

56Eikä Ruotsi rohkiasti,Nor Sweden boldly,

57Venäläine ei vaikiasti,The Russian not stealthily,

58Siun kosiosi tulloo.Your suitor comes instead.

59Mää sie aittaa mäelle,I'll take you to the hill storehouse,

60Mää aittaa mäellissee,To the hill's storehouse,

61Paa sieltä paremmat päällesi,Put better clothes on yourself,

62Pahasemmat pois panele,Cast off the worse ones,

63Siell' on kuusi kultavyötä,There are six golden belts,

64Seitsemän hopiavyötä,Seven silver belts,

65Otsat ortee ojenna,Headbands of brocade reach out,

66Kaksin kerroin kaulaans."Twice-folded for your neck."

67Ivaana pojut Kalervo,Ivan's sons of Kalervo,

68Käpykenkä, nahkapaulaPinecone-shoe, leather-strap,

69Ajo aitan kynnykselle,Rode to the storehouse threshold,

70Katso aitan aukkusesta;Peered through the storehouse crack;

71Näki neion rippuvanna,Saw the maiden hanging,

72Tukkapään tutisevanna.Her thick hair trembling.

73Löi vad kahta kämmentää,Smacked both palms together,

74Viittä sormee vipusiSpread five fingers wide

75Niiku kahta kalman usta:Like death's two jaws:

76"Ai mie polone poika,"Ah, I wretched boy,

77Pettelin vanhan emoni,Deceived my old mother,

78Sanoin neion saaneeni,Said I'd gained the maiden,

79Tukkapään tuoneeni."Brought the thick-haired one."

80Ivaana pojut Kalervo,Ivan's sons of Kalervo,

81Käpykenkä, nahkapaulaPinecone-shoe, leather-strap,

82Ajo Luojan pellon päälle,Rode to God's field,

83Jumalan jakosaralle.To the Lord's dividing ditch.

84Sinne suuti surmuvee,There his mouth met death,

85Sinne kaivo kalmuvee.There he dug his grave.

86Isäni imehtellöö,My father wonders,

87Kuninkaatki kummittelloot:Even kings marvel:

88"Mingäntähen mies tapettu?""Why was the man killed?"

89Neion tähen mies tapettu,For the maiden's sake killed,

90Miks piti pitkät kassarihmatWhy she wore long braids

91Ja leviät kassalintit.And wide hair ribbons.

English translations by DeepSeek R1, provided by Lidia Pivovarova (University of Helsinki). AI-generated translations may contain inaccuracies.

The text is that of the SKVR digital edition of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), with these changes:

The editors’ signs inside the verses ([ ], ⌈ ⌉, *, [!], [?]) are left out, as in the poem reader; the letters they enclose are kept.
The edition’s line numbers are replaced by a number on every verse, counted as in the poem reader.

Source

Text: SKVR (Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot), the digital edition of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Permanent address of this poem at SKS: http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:sks-kvr-007677 · Read at SKS ↗

Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.